It is official. SO HAPPY

Awesome news! For next season??

Yep - 2015 will see Brisbane with a team in the NBL!

Another step in hopefully the right direction for the NBL.

Will the Bullets franchise be brought back? It would be a shame for them to sweep all that history and good will under the carpet and start from scratch. But I guess Melbourne United did it - and they probably think the name isn't family friendly enough for today's market.

I like that it has been announced early enough to now see how it develops over time, not just thrown together as an after thought...

I dont think they need to bring the Brisbane bullets back. They need to bring back a sustainable basketball Franchise. Sustainable. Not flash in the pan for 5-6 years years then dies a horrible death.

Id prefer if they picked a new name.

Well Matthew you obviously are not from Brisbane as most people up here are very familiar with the Bullets brand and want it back.

I don't think another name would get anywhere near as much publicity and I know a few Bullets legends would be very disappointed if they went with a different name.

I also hope that Pat Rafter arena is considered as an option for a few games.

hmm there goes our chances at retaining Gibbo past this year i would say

How long are Joey and Gibbo contracted to the 36ers for??

We shouldn't glorify gun violence by naming a team after something that kills people. Brisbane Wizards?

Rhys Martin probably eying a move back to his home state now I'd say.

Honestly I would be embarrassing to be supporting a team called the Wizards or even as a possible bid group said the Spartans.

Not many people associate a basketball team with death and violence anyway.

Ah ok, must admit was worried they would head back to Brisbane next season, looks like atleast Joey cant which hopefully means Gibbo also stays.

Yea, who knows, heres hoping we have a good season and both are keen to stay.

Can't be Rollers thats the Aussie Wheelchair team name.

Brisbane Cane Toads !!

Annon, the Rollers name has been used previously in the NBL.

Gold Coast were known as the Rollers for about five years back in the 1990s.

Whatever they are called it will be great to see Brisbane back.
As a kid I remember Loggins, Moore and Rucker and would be happy with the bullets name.

Fantastic to see a Brissie team are once again on the warpath to greatness (Bullets please!). I'll be there with season tix from the outset no matter name/arena. However...

I fear Rafter Arena would be a massive mistake though. It would all but doom the new venture to certain failure. Brisbane sports fans are incredibly fickle creatures and our summer evenings can be particularly brutal affairs. It's often still around the 30 degree mark late into the eve with humidity pushing 100%. I've been to a Bris Open night session and it's an abysmal experience. Why they didn't enclose the thing is beyond me.

The hardcore fan with happily mop their brow while drenched in sweat and sit there for a couple hours waving a fan in front of their face, but the success or otherwise of this venture is entirely dependent on attracting the casual fan.

People want to *escape* the heat, and two hours in an air conditioned theater for similar outlay is going to prove a far more enticing proposition for many I suspect.

First world problems and all I know, but it just wont work if people don't go.

Agreed, transport to PR Arena isn't great either. Then again Chandler is no better (perhaps worse) and apparently the rent on the BCEC is ridiculous. Then again, if the NBL is bankrolling this, maybe they'll be prepared to foot the bill for the sake of a central location for games near the CBD. This can obviously make a huge difference, as Perth Arena has shown and as Melbourne are hoping the move to Hisense will likewise when trying to attract the post-work rollup crowd.

Convention centre isn't the greatest Bball venue but I think if they're serious it's the best bet.

Not Shane Heal
Not Shane Heal
Not Shane Heal

They didn't close the roof for Pat Rafter Arena because they wanted it to be an open air arena that would replicate the conditions of the Australian Open. Hopefully they can sort something out.

Is the BCEC around 4,000 seats?

How about boomerangs...........they always come back !!!!

Yup, Convention Centre is approx 4000 for basketball. The venue layout works well enough, despite having not having a complete circle bowl around the court.

Name wise, considering the NBL/BBI itself was promoting the Blitz as "Brisbane Reloaded" on the arena staff shirts with a stylised bullet hole graphic on the "O", I can't see them having too much of an issue with the name.

Agree with above posters, Abe Polian got rid of the Bullets name for DC due to the fact that they had one of, if not the highest violent crime rate in the US during the mid-90's. Brisbane has no such issue as far as I'm aware of from 10+ years living here.

It's a shame PR arena was built as an open air stadium. It would have been great for watch basketball with the 360 bowl.

Wouldn't Gibson and Goulding be just as 'obvious' for the Tassie franchise?

I don't think there's any such thing as obvious players for a franchise in this professional era. You play where the money or situation is beast for you, then retire where you want to live.

Article on brisbanetimes.com today regarding the Bullets return:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/basketball/cut-the-dribble--just-bring-back-the-bullets-20140923-10l1p8.html

What I meant was Gibson and Goulding were both born in Tassie. I'm not sure how long they lived there.

Goulding is a qlder, grew up in south side brisbane. Only born in tassie left as a toddler.

Gibson is a true bluetassie boy.

Also as far as names go, i think Brisbane needs a fresh start so no bullets. Perhaps Brisbane Giants? Brisbane Basketball Club? aka BBC, mascot a fun family orientated local animal.

Crocsfan why do you think that Brisbane needs a new start. I think that Brisbane needs to keep the Bullets name but I would like to hear your point of view.

I think Goulding left in his early teens or just before? Called himself a Tassie boy this year, but I imagine he would consider himself a bit of both. Certainly SE Qld is more of his adult home though.

The team MUST be called the Bullets. Nothing else will be successful. Sydney tried to be clever with Spirit and released the error in a new name and went back to Kings. The Bullets are an icon...instant brand recognition, a foundation club, 3 championships, household names like Loggins and Kerle. It will be hard enough to get a foothold in the market against the other codes in Brisbane, why would anybody risk corporate support with a brand new team with no fanbase, no success and no history. With respect brand new teams don't have a habit of staying in the NBL for long.

Everybody I know want the team to be called the Bullets. In a SMH online poll asking for the publics opinion on the name of the team, over 80% said Bullets. Opposition fans want the Bullets.

If the team isn't called the Bullets it will be one of the worst decisions in the history of sport.

I agree it should be Bullets but if it wasn't I don't think it would be one of the worst decisions in the history of sport.

Particularly if the owner of the name (Grove's estate?) wants more than nominal money for it.

I ask all my friends who don't follow NBL and they can only name one team and that is the Brisbane Bullets. Even for non-basketball fans it is recognisable.

People outside of Queensland need to understand this.

Just to clear up: Bullets 100% for the name!

Also, Sydney Spirit were actually the West Sydney Razorbacks. The Kings folded before that season began. So the Kings and Spirit were 2 separate franchises.

Once Sydney returned to the NBL, it was the Kings' franchise that entered.